ENG 5049 Spring 2024

This course takes a critical look at the university, with particular attention to the institutional history and culture of English Departments and the academic profession. The objectives of the class are both theoretical and concrete. On the one hand, we will read arguments about the social and economic function of universities, the value of literary studies, and the politics of theory. On the other hand, we will engage with material on the structure of the neoliberal university today, covering topics such as the financialization of higher education, student debt, graduate student and adjunct labor, scholarly capital, the job market, education as a commodity, and competitive professionalization. Some portion of the course will be devoted to political struggles and progressive social movements in the university, yesterday and today, not excluding visions of radical education beyond the university as we know it. Readings still to be determined.